Gibbon Treewear Review
Friday, February 18th, 2011 in: News
When I wrote my review of the Gibbon Slackline Kit, I advocated for protecting the trees you use for anchors. In some places back home, you can get fined and have your line cut for setting up a slackline without protecting the trees, and as the sport gets more popular, it’s increasingly more important for slackers to show that their fun doesn’t inflict any undue damage upon the environment. Especially traveling abroad, I’d feel very nervous about setting up a line without protecting the trees; you never know what kind of reception you might get when the locals first encounter slacklining: I’ve been rather lucky–with the exception of a few grouchy curmudgeons in Beijing–but it’s better to be safe than sorry, and there’s no denying the twinge of guilt when a curious onlooker comes up and inspects your anchors, finding fresh damage to the bark. I’d been looking for a good portable way to pad my anchors; cardboard and carpet scraps aren’t always available, and I don’t really like how the anchors tend to slide on them during jumps and surfing.
First Impressions (+)
Someone mentioned in the comments that Gibbon sells lightweight padding, called Treewear. For lack of a better, homemade option, I bit the bullet and ordered a set on Rakuten, Japan’s Amazon.com. The padding is made from a light, soft foam reminiscent of a thick Scotch-Brite pad or soft astroturf. At one end of the pad was a velcro strip capable of gripping anywhere on the pad, allowing for some versatility in how you set it up. The material is incredibly light, and it takes up less space than two coke cans. It easily fit into my slackline bag. (more…)
Out of the Frying Pan, Into the Spiritual Fire
Friday, February 18th, 2011 in: News, Travel
My first day in the Philippines has been as sharp a contrast to the life I had back in Korea as the change in weather. The day started off with a yoga session with Troy, my impromptu couchsurfing host. I spent the rest of the morning catching up with the internet waiting for Janet and Joemar, unsure of what the day had in store for me. We wove our way through the maze of malls that practically define Makati, squeezed onto the crowded light rail, and flagged down a Jeepney to get to the university campus to meet up with Joemar’s friend and slackline. On the train, Joemar showed me a text from his friend, saying that he sensed good energy from me and was excited to meet me. “my friends are a little… crazy.” I’m not sure it was meant to prepare or reassure me. (more…)
To Manila!
Friday, February 18th, 2011 in: News, Travel
The DMZ was the last major excursion of my stay, aside from the drunken farewell evenings spent with Drew and his friends from work and professional Starcraft players. I was once again reminded that any skill or talent can generate an entire industry. Especially in Korea.
And so I extricated myself from Drew’s apartment with a hearty farewell, and found myself on a train to Incheon airport. I’m going to miss the trains in Korea; all the punctuality and accessibility of Japan, with the prices of China. I have a feeling that the sailing won’t be as smooth in the third world. (more…)
DMZ and Panmunjeon Tour
Wednesday, February 16th, 2011 in: News, Travel
North and South Korea are separated by a 4km strip of land called the De-Militarized Zone (DMZ), stretching across the entire peninsula at the 38th parallel, unmoved in the nearly 60 years since the armistice was signed in 1953. I didn’t know much about the history of relations between the north and south when I walked up to the USO tour office at 6am Saturday morning.
The only way to get to the DMZ is on a tour, and the only tour that takes you all the way up to the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) is run by USO. It’s more expensive, but it’s worth it. In addition to the Dorasan Observatory and train station and 3rd Infiltration Tunnel, the USO tour takes you into the DMZ itself, around Camp Bonifas and into Panmunjeon, around the table where the only communication between north and south takes place. (more…)
Hiking in Seoul – Bukhansan
Wednesday, February 16th, 2011 in: News, Travel
There’s a lot of talk about climbing on here lately. It probably helps that I’m actually writing this from a veritable climber’s mecca, and I’m awash in the climber’s glow right now. But more on that later.
In Korea, if you tell people you’re a climber, they immediately envision an alpinist. Hiking is practically a national pasttime, and Korean people spend millions on expensive brand name hiking gear. Considering the mountains in Korea aren’t all that steep or tall, it’s a bit funny to see everyone dressed like they’re on their way to summit Mt. Everest. Even walking up the small hill behind Drew’s apartment, the Korean hikers were decked out in North Face, Marmot and Black Yak gear.
I wasn’t going to leave Korea without climbing at least one mountain, so Drew, Jin and I headed towards Bukhansan one morning. The tallest mountain in the region, Bukhansan is a favorite for hikers in Seoul, and you could sense its popularity by the throngs of outdoor shops hugging the base of the moountain. Of course, the Korean climbers were in their tech uniforms, even sporting crampons over their expensive hiking boots. There was a bit of ice and snow on the trail, but I thought that was a little much. People looked at us like we were crazy, pointing at Drew’s jeans and white converse sneakers as we padded our way up the steps. (more…)
Reel Rock Film Tour in Seoul
Tuesday, February 15th, 2011 in: News, Travel
Back home, it’s a bit of a tradition to go to the Reel Rock Film Tour and check out the latest and greatest in climbing films and accomplishments. The films are often so inspiring that I immediately grab my bags and set off on a climbing excursion in one of the spectacular areas in California. This year, I was bummed out that I wasn’t going to be able to attend the show back home, until I checked online and discovered that I hadn’t yet missed the premiere in Seoul! It wasn’t too late for me. Traditions are never quite lost, they just get altered over time. (more…)
Climbing in Korea – Plastique Critique
Tuesday, February 15th, 2011 in: News, Travel
Back home, climbing gyms are generally separated into the categories of dark cramped basements where serious climbers train (beastments), and the “birthday party gyms,” which thrive on the business of non-climbers. These distinctions seem to be universal, if my experience in Korea is any indication. I wasn’t aware of the basement gyms at first, and so I went to K2 with Drew, touted as the biggest climbing gym in Seoul. (more…)
Seoul Yo-Yo Club
Sunday, February 13th, 2011 in: News, Travel
Shine-san is my contact in the Korean yo-yo community; the proprieter of the Korean yo-yo shop Yo ‘n’ Joy, he wholesales Korean-made yo-yos to REWIND, acting as a middleman for us with Shinwoo. His Japanese is better than his English, so our communication is mostly in Japanese. He also organizes the Seoul Yo-Yo Club, which meets at Isu station once a month. The timing worked out so that I was able to join one day. He brought with him a couple of Korean yo-yos I ordered (Christmas gifts for Drew), and refused to accept any money for them. “My treat, a thanks for all your business” he smiled reassuringly (more…)
Book Review: The Game
Friday, February 4th, 2011 in: News
Perusing my host’s library, I came across a brown tome by the name of “The Game,” by Neil Strauss, a writer for Rolling Stone. Strauss is an average looking guy, with thinning red hair, thick glasses and a lack of confidence endemic to men the world over. What started as research into the secret world of pickup artists would change his life forever, putting him on the path to become a legend in the field, and change the way he thinks about women, relationships and himself. (more…)
North Korea is an Asshole
Sunday, January 23rd, 2011 in: News, Travel
Sounds harsh, but all signs point to asshole.
Although the Korean war is said to have ended in 1953, in reality only an armistice was signed, making it just a half-century long ceasefire South Korea has spent their time frantically trying to catch up with the west, developing at an alarming rate and pulling itself up by the sweat and blood of its people. I’m certain the citizens of the north have faced similar hardships, but the result has been a totalitarian dictatorship where the gap between the haves and the have-nots is even greater than that of the reviled west, for which they blame all the people’s misery. (more…)
